30DBC Day 01: Best book you read last year

It is here! Day One of the 30 Day Book Challenge. What is this challenge, you say?

Now, the first day post is pretty easy, because I was quite a terrible reader last year. Mostly because I was on my last semester of uni, which meant that I was recovering from reader fatigue for the past four years (my degree requires that I read approximately 72 [yes, I did the math] books per year). So last year, not only was I in my final semester, which required minimal (if not repetitive) reading, the rest of the year I practically did squat but sit in front of my laptop and just watch youtube videos every other day – who am I kidding I watched it every day.

So most of my reading was accomplished during my November/December break. And I read exactly these books:

1. Hunger Games
2. Catching Fire
3. and yes … Mockingjay
4. Ender’s Game
5. Divergent

Yes. You can count it all on one hand. To sum it up, this post just required me to choose between these five books. And I have to say the one I preferred out of all of these was … *drumroll*

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

It really wasn’t a very difficult choice, to be honest. The first two books were solid reads. But having watched the movies really takes the joy out of imagining the world of Panem and its wondrous characters for the first two. Apart from the Mutts and Avoxes, I have to credit the movies for staying true to the novels. I just hope that Mockingjay follows faithfully in their footsteps.

Mockingjay for me was an emotional rollercoaster – but rollercoaster doesn’t sound like the perfect image to describe the torment it brought me. It was like an emotional .. gut wrencher. That sounds a lot more right. It was like grinding two rocks together that wouldn’t stick – in the most awesome way possible. It was exactly how I imagined a revolt to possibly end up like. And there was more than enough twists and turns along the way to make up for the absence of a reaping and a main hunger game event.

I really don’t want to give away too much, especially with such a high-stakes book. All I will say is that Collins did a great job in the character development in this final novel. I’m sure I’ll read this again closer to when part one comes out for this movie just so I can recover from the emotional shock and trauma it gave me the first time reading it – or to suffer it all over again.

So for today, for day one of the 30 Day Book Challenge, I choose Mockingjay!

Once again, be sure to check out Rhey of Sunshine for her side of the 30DBC! I’m personally interested to know which book she chose cause, unlike me, she devoured books last year – even bought herself a kobo, like her personal reading utensil, to make the feast easier – okay, I got to stop with the metaphors today.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤

 

my brain at 3am: young adult books and dystopia

i have read Divergent and Insurgent, and i have watched the movie – the concept to any young adult story, including that of the Divergent series (photo above) is not new. what is different in all of them is the world they portray and the protagonist and characters that exist in them – and sometimes the latter is not new either.

what i will always love about these stories is this: the convergence between the teenager and the dystopian world, and the belief that it is the teenager, the ever-so-relatable teenager, who manages to save the day. and how? because he/she refuses to see the world the way everyone else does.

and one can easily dispute how unrealistic such a situation may be – and then i have to ask you to think again, that you underestimate the average teenager in society, that this voice that is different among a sea of uniformity may be just the ripple the ocean needs.

my line of work at the moment puts me at the forefront of teenage rebellion. every day i am confronted with teenagers asking me questions about why society works the way it does. they are skeptical, at best. at their worst they take offence easily to their sense of freedom. they criticise the education system, they criticise the government, they are doubtful of the way justice and law and freedom of speech work.

and, yes, many times it is exhausting. it is exhausting to create pockets of hope among teenagers who doubt the words you and authorities may say. and it is exhausting trying to fight them.

but then i ask myself, why? why fight something that appears so natural to them? and, wasn’t i in their shoes when i was their age – not so long ago? didn’t i also rebel?

and then i ask myself, why? why did i, and do they, rebel?

and this was what google search gave me:

During the teenage years, the area of the brain called the prefrontal cortex is developing. This is the part of your brain that is behind your forehead. It’s your thinking cap and judgment center, Elkind explains, which means kids can now develop their own ideals and ideas.

Whereas younger children don’t see the flaws in their parents, adolescents suddenly see the world more realistically. “They construct an ideal of what parents should be, based on their friends’ parents, on media parents. When they compare their own parents to the ideal, they find them wanting. Their parents don’t know how dress, walk, talk; they’re embarrassing,” he tells WebMD.

All the arguments — they’re also the result of the prefrontal cortex at work, Elkind says. As a child evolves into a teenager, the brain becomes able to synthesize information into ideas. Teens want to exercise their new skill — and they tend to practice on their parents. “It may seem that they argue for the sake of arguing. But really, they’re practicing their new abilities.”

so, maybe we shouldn’t fault teenagers for the way their minds work, if biology is in order. and maybe, if anything, we should try to praise this gift that biology gives them. after all, mother nature should have a good reasoning behind it, for giving us a period in our lives where we are so absolutely skeptical of the way everything operates around us.

and, if anything, this is what i believe young adult dystopian novels are currently tapping on: the ruthless curiosity and rebellion of the teenage boy and girl undergoing puberty, defiant against authority figures, unwilling to accept the status quo.

and i think, this is, if anything, what many authors of the young adult genre try to capture, this beautiful yet confusing period where you, as an individual, are both so sure and so unsure of your existence in the world. after all, isn’t it so powerful and unique, this ability to think of yourself as an individual as well as a subject of society? and doesn’t it open hundreds upon thousands of gateways into seeing the world as how it is and is not and what it could essentially be?

so why is it as adults we resign to the world order? why can’t we look at the teenagers and, instead of scorn over their criticism, force ourselves to question our beliefs again? they may seem lost in this world, they may seem immature at times and they may seemed fuelled with angst – but aren’t they sometimes justified to feel this way as individuals of society? and as adults, aren’t we entitled to the same emotions? comparing us to them, are we any better?

we always compare ourselves to our childhood and state that we’ve lost our innocence and childlike curiosity of the world – but who has ever looked back at our teenage selves and ever lamented over losing their skepticism and rebellion? doesn’t anyone miss it? the ability to say ‘no’ and to push aside social responsibility?

when we look back at the past, it feels like we look too far. when we look back on history, we jump to the big bang, the dinosaurs, the Egyptians – we forget about the last century where we’ve come so far. when we look back at ourselves, we jump back to our first memory as a child – we forget about our individual rebellion, the moment when we made so many revelations on the concept of perfection and that it did not pertain to the society, the people around us, nor ourselves.

we forget about the teenager. we forget about the bridge we cross between the victim and the culprit. but that bridge was the most important. that bridge was when we saw, finally were able to see, open-eyed, that our world was neither filled with victims nor culprits, but of individuals too scared to act out and make a difference, and the awareness that if we just spoke up, we could.

i think that is what the dystopian teenage novel has in its grasp: the ability to see that bridge.

and my thoughts are still a’muddled by these strings of thought…

– cumuloq ❤

Favourite Quotes: “than facing fearful odds…”

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
“To every man upon this earth
Death cometh soon or late.
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods.”

– Horatius by Thomas Babington Macaulay

Drinking hot tea at 12.41am, watching an episode (The Impossible Planet) of Doctor Who, and this gorgeous quote is spoken. I thought I should record it down. I wonder if it is possible in the future – seeing as the Irish send their dead bodies across the sea and shoot it with an arrow, and the rich can ask to be made into a diamond – to ask for your dead body to be sent off floating in space, or into a black hole. Actually, what happens when a body is in dead space?

Oh, and this quote seems perfect for The Hunger Games too, honestly. I mean this part: “And how can man die better / Than facing fearful odds”, isn’t it so befitting?

Okay, too many questions, must keep watching the episode.

Till next time,

cumuloq ❤

Related articles

• Doctor Who #733: The Impossible Planet (siskoid.blogspot.com)
• Thomas Babington Macaulay (igarcia27.wordpress.com)

34 Comedy Films For Your December Holidays

Since many of you must be preparing for some downtime this holiday month, I thought I might compile a list of my favourite light-hearted comedies.

This list can either be used for a movie marathon with your lonesome, tucked up in a blanket as the snow/rain falls in sheets at your bedroom window – preferably with your favourite snack (let’s say a pack of sour cream and onion chips) and your favourite nice warm beverage (let’s say a hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows) – or alternatively spent with a group of friends.

Otherwise, you also use this list to sift out any potential movies you haven’t watched and add them to your film conquests this month.

Either way, the films handpicked below are especially made to put a smile on your face. 🙂

1. 21 Jump Street
2. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
3. Easy A
4. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
5. Old School
6. I Love You, Man
7. Ted
8. Tropic Thunder
9. Coming to America
10. Mean Girls
11. Yes Man
12. Liar Liar
13. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
14. Bruce Almighty
15. Fanboys
16. Eurotrip
17. Robin Hood: Men in Tights
18. Zoolander
19. Click
20. Accepted
21. 17 Again
22. Rat Race
23. She’s the Man
24. Anger Management
25. Scary Movie
26. Legally Blonde
27. Fired Up
28. Evolution
29. Johnny English
30. Wild Child
31. The House Bunny
32. Benchwarmers
33. Daddy Day Care
34. The Hot Chick

As for myself, I am currently making my way through the Doctor Who series for the first time. I decided to start (with some browsing of recommendations on the web) with Series 1, i.e. The Ninth Doctor (Eccleston). Hopefully by Christmas I can make it to the Eleventh Doctor – but no promises ’cause I’m also simultaneously trying to get through The Ender Saga. Apparently this month I’ve made it a mission to conquer a plethora of fandoms. At least I got The Hunger Games out of the way (still wondering whether to give my analysis out of that one).

Till next time,

cumuloq ❤

Weekly Update: December has arrived!

I realise that since my holidays has just begun (like last week), this week was opportune for me to blog. However I spent a lot more time doing other things – mostly sleeping, watching things and finishing The Hunger Games trilogy in the span of two and a half days.

I have a few ideas for this week, but lately it’s been a lot more difficult for me to come up with things to write in my blog. I think you can tell from my poems lately that I’ve uninspired – or lazy. Either of the two.

For now, I’ll just update you on my favourite videos for the week. 🙂

Songs of the Week: Ender’s Game OST by Steve Jablonsky and

I couldn’t help myself, I had to. The songs in this LP made my entire week. I think it’s the one thing that made Ender’s Game so epic. I had this in the background when I read The Hunger Games trilogy. If you’ve watched the movie and never paid close attention to the music, please do. It’s worth a good listen. I think it is becoming one of my favourite instrumental soundtracks, along with the How to Train Your Dragon one – and trust me, I read the books while listening to that one too (but it didn’t have the same feel that this one did). 

San Francisco by The Mowgli’s

There’s an odd story as to how I came across the pretty song – I got hooked on it from Sims 3 University. It’s in the Geek Rock genre when you choose the categories on the stereo. I usually choose Electronica or Geek – I don’t know why, but currently my default is on kids music, which drives me insane (I need to remember to change that). But, yeah. Give it a listen! And if you want to hear the Sim version (the one I’m used to) it’s here.

Videos of the Week: Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball (Chatroulette Version) and

I think once you watch this you’ll remember this guy. He’s quite difficult to forget. And traumatises me never to try chatroulette …

Get Ready With Me! ❄ Holiday Party Makeup, Hair, and Outfit with MissGlamorazzi

And cause the holiday season is upon us, I thought I’d share with you one of my favourite Youtube gurus, Ingrid’s, “get ready” video for Christmas! 🙂

LPs of the Week: Things to do in GTA V: Fall Guy X by RoosterTeeth and

 HOOKIN’ TO STAY ALIVE (Game Bang) by Smosh Games

So, to end this, I hope all of you are in lighter moods! My favourite month of the year is finally here! I love December and the Christmas holidays, and I can’t wait to give presents and share in the cheer. 🙂 Let me know what you’re looking forward to this month, whether it be just a break from work or an awesome holiday getaway you have planned in the comment section or otherwise.

Till next time,

cumuloq ❤

Weekly Update: Acoustic Yellowcard, Acoustic SourceFed and Things Catching on Fire

Chaotic week! I barely remember how the end half of it went. And I can tell that, since I didn’t prep as much, I was often confused on what day I was posting and what I was going to write on that day (i.e. Friday onwards). This pretty much gave me a wake-up call and made me realise that sustaining this blog will be no joke once I actually do start working – whenever that is. (I hope I get some sort of concrete answer by this Monday or Tuesday.) So, this is one of the reasons why I’m glad that August is around the corner so that I can once more reorganise the categories of the weekly updates.

I’m considering one of two things; either I give myself just a four or five day blogging week, or I keep the same categories and blog on any of the days I’m free to (this means less predictability, I can either blog on all seven days, or there can be gaps of up to two to three days). I’ll have to really see how my potential routine will be.

But as for now, let’s go on to my weekly favourites:

1. Song of the Week: Ocean Avenue (Acoustic) by Yellowcard

I really love Yellowcard and this was probably one of the first songs I heard from them. I was so excited when I heard that they were releasing an acoustic album and after listening to this track, I just can’t wait to hear what else is there. There are quite a few close runner-ups this week (Passenger – Holes (Official Video)), but Yellowcard will always take the cake.

2. Youtube Video of the Week: SourceFed’s Sex Ed, Big Ass Mirrors, and Lost at Sea… It’s Comment Commentary 78!

Why? All because of the ending; the last two minutes of this video made my week. Go check it out.

3. Trailer of the Week: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Trailer #2

Unlike the first trailer in which I had no idea what exactly the plot was about other than “we must use Katniss as an example” (no, I did not read any of the books), this trailer at least gave away more of the plot and made me understand why there were all these other characters now such as Finnick. Can’t wait for it to come out, nonetheless.

Till next time!

cumuloquoise ❤

10 of My Favourite Unconventional Romantic Movies

Summer’s coming to an end (along with my “holiday”). Some may have spent their entire summer in another distant country (I didn’t), or playing in the sandy beaches (I didn’t), or doing internship with some potential company they hope to be a part of (I didn’t). Either way, I really hope that everyone has made some special memory of their summer.

But if you’re missing out on summer romance here is a list of romantic movies you can sit down and watch as a marathon montage. I left out the bigger blockbusters  for more quirky favourites. ‘Cause come on everyone probably knows those sappy classics like Titanic and Moulin Rouge. But I warn you, Kate Hudson appears in a lot of my favourite romantic movies – probably ’cause she is one of my favourite sassy female leads in romantic roles ever.

1. Friends with Benefits (2011)

Lead duo: Dylan (Justin Timberlake) and Jamie (Mila Kunis)

The hook: They say they want to get into a relationship with no emotional attachments, but you know it’ll end up otherwise and it’s funny how you know you’ll be a hypocrite about it, i.e. if they do end up together you’ll scorn the plot for being unoriginal and so typically a romance and if they do not end up together then you’ll be incredibly unsatisfied by the ending (so what will be your pick?); yet it’s still incredibly endearing watching the chemistry between the two heighten and Timberlake and Kunis’s quirky offbeat sense of humour just tickles you in all the right places.

2. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)

 

Lead duo: Patrick (Heath Ledger) and Kat (Julia Stiles)

The hook: Honestly, if I had to immortalise the late Heath Ledger in any one of his movie roles it has to be this one, the Australian bad boy who is bribed to woo Kat so that Cameron (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) can date her sister, Bianca. This movie was probably one of my favourite teen romcoms. Oh, and a shout out definitely goes to Larry Miller for playing such an awesome dad in this film.

3. She’s Out of My League (2010)

Lead duo: Kirk (Jay Baruchel) and Molly (Alice Eve)

The hook: The message of this film is really awesome, in my opinion. ‘Cause we’re always surrounded by this kind of scenario in our day-to-day lives: how can that girl like that guy, he’s not even good looking, or vice versa. And the problem is that a lot of movies will perpetuate that stereotype ’cause there will always be equally good looking couples. In Hollywood’s superficial minds, that is what equates perfect chemistry, i.e. you need to be of the same ‘number’ so perfect tens can only date perfect tens. But I love this movie ’cause it teaches you that beauty is subjective/in the eye of the beholder. Oh, plus it has some really awesome and quirky actors like Krysten Ritter (in my opinion, she’s just awesome).

4. It’s a Boy Girl Thing (2006)

Lead duo: Woody (Kevin Zegers) and Nell (Samaire Armstrong)

The hook: Woody and Nell are very different people, i.e. (sorry, using i.e. too much in this post – I notice, I can self-reflect on these things and yet never change my initial wordings) Woody is the jock and Nell is the smart and brainy ivy-league hopeful. One day they wake up and they’re in each other’s bodies. Like many other body switching movies like Freaky Friday, this one may sounds like such a terribly cheesy romcom and set-up, but I have to defend it for how well it turned out. Zegers and Armstrong play each other so well that at some points I actually forget that they are not actually in each other’s bodies. Plus, the O.C. girl, come on.

5. I Love You, Beth Cooper (2009)

Lead duo: Denis (Paul Rust) and Beth (Hayden Panettiere)

The hook: Similar to She’s Out of Your League, but with a more younger premise to it. Plus it’s all worth it for that moment in the end when Beth finally opens up to him and says, “Thank you for loving me.”

6. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)

Lead duo: Ben (Matthew McConaughey) and Andie (Kate Hudson)

The hook: Both Ben and Andie work in companies which give them a specific task that requires each other to succeed. Ben must prove that he can make any girl fall in love with him in 10 days and Andie is writing an article on how she can lose a guy in 10 days. Obviously this kind of situation will never happen in real life – and that’s what makes it so much more hilarious and exciting. I think I’ve watched this movie far too many times for me to count. I loved McConaughey and Hudson in their roles. They were perfect for them.

7. Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)

Lead duo: Nick (Michael Cera)  and Norah (Kat Dennings)

The hook: Norah makes Nick pose as her boyfriend for a few minutes without knowing that her classmate, Tris, had recently broken up with him and he was still in love with her. To be honest when I first watched this movie I wasn’t in love with it. But after watching it four more times in a row (’cause the plane had no other good movies on it) I was absolutely hooked on Nick and Norah together.

8. Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)

 

Lead duo: Prince Henry (Dougray Scott) and Danielle (Drew Barrymore)

The hook: Definitely different from the others on this list, but don’t be fooled there is a lot of bite to this movie. Danielle always stood out to me as a very strong character. I always loved it when the main female character had a more independent streak to her and I think Barrymore did a really good job in making her shine.

9. Little Manhattan (2005)

Lead duo: Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) and Rosemary (Charlie Ray)

The hook: These children will put any adult relationship to shame with its surprising maturity and yet incredible innocence and sweet-nature.

Suddenly, I knew what I had to do. Love isn’t about ridiculous little words. Love is about grand gestures. Love is about airplanes pulling banners over stadiums, proposals on jumbo-trons, giant words in sky writing. Love is about going that extra mile even if it hurts, letting it all hang out there. Love is about finding courage inside of you that you didn’t even know was there. – Gabe

 

Plus, come on, Josh Hutcherson (Peeta in The Hunger Games) as a ten-year-old in this movie is too adorable. If anything, watch it as an entree before the main course, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

10. Alex & Emma (2003)

Lead duo: Alex (Luke Wilson) and Emma (Kate Hudson)

The hook: Alex is required to write a novel pronto and seeks assistance for a stenographer in Emma. I don’t know why, but this movie somehow stood out to me as a possible candidate to this list. Probably ’cause I only watched it once in my life and yet I still remember how I found Alex and Emma’s relationship just adorable. Or maybe ’cause I just loved Kate Hudson in every romance she’s played in.

I hope this list has given you guys at least one movie to check out and watch on one of those lazy afternoons or nights this summer.

Till next time!

cumuloq ❤